My Cousin Rachel

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steve d Weisz's performance makes this a really effective version. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review isla s This is quite an atmospheric film - it has a slow, winding plot but the characters are certainly intriguing and I liked the posh settings, with period costumes and some slightly lavish furniture/interiors shown. I liked the mystery element to it as well. There is quite a bit of hushed dialogue, which may cause an issue for viewers who are hard of hearing perhaps? so that's probably worth mentioning. Its also true that there are scenes where the opposite is true - raised, shouty voices too. There is certainly an element of melodrama present at times. Rachel Weisz does well in her role but I'm not sure I was entirely convinced with Sam Clafin as the main male character, Philip. I wasn't surprised to find this film is based on a novel - it has the feel of a book about it (if that makes any sense) and not in a bad way. I wouldn't say its an especially memorable film and the incidental music felt perhaps a little overbearing at times, plus it won't interest people keen on fast paced films but that aside, I'd recommend it for the settings and characters, I suppose, just don't expect too much. It didn't entirely hit the note (as it were) for me but its not an awful film either. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member My Cousin Rachel is Roger Michell's adaptation to the screen of the novel by British author Daphne du Maurier, who wrote famed novel Rebecca. It is a suspense drama dripping with romance and intrigue set on an estate in Cornwall, England during the Victorian era. Michell has given his interpretation of the novel a contemporary spin with hints of dark undertones. The story is set against the breathtaking landscape of the Cornish coast with glimpses of seductive Florence, Italy. Rachel Weisz stars as Rachel Ashley, widow of Ambrose Ashley, who accepts an invitation to visit her cousin Philip Ashley not long after her husband dies from a brain tumor. Sam Claflin plays Philip Ashley, Ambrose's ward, cousin and heir, and gives a commanding performance of the manly boy with a tempestuous nature. He uses the occasion of her visit to seek justice for his cousin believing she murdered him. But, when he falls for her too, well, circumstances change and so do his intentions. What sets the film apart is the brilliant acting by the main and supporting cast! Weisz plays her role consummately and gives the performance of a lifetime giving a nuanced, complex and multi-faceted portrayal of her character. When you think of it, who better to play the complicated role than the critically acclaimed British actor! Is Rachel truly a villainous person with nefarious intentions who seduces men with her beauty and charm for her own material advancement or is she just a beautifully complicated and misunderstood woman seeking happiness on her own terms? Although Rachel Ashley is the object of her cousin's gaze and to a lesser extent, his cousin Ambrose by way of his letters, and the other men and women in the film, the film subverts the definition of femme fatale. Yes, Rachel Ashley possesses the classic characteristics of a femme fatale – beauty, charm, and sexuality, but there is more to her than meets the eye even though we glimpse her through the filter of a male's gaze. Is it Philip's striking resemblance to his older cousin that sets Rachel's heart on fire when they first meet or does she seduce him to seek her own material comfort and place in the world? The other women in the film pale in comparison to Rachel's ravishing dark looks. What do we make of her knowledge of the healing arts? What about Rachel's mothering of her cousin? She reminds him to lick his fingers and marry Louise Kendall before she gets away from him, and tells him to go to bed like a good little boy. Did she really murder her husband Ambrose? What about her past? She is twice-widowed. What of her association with the flamboyant Italian Enrico Rainaldi? Why does she nurse Philip back to health? You'll have to decide for yourself in the end. Is she or isn't she a femme fatale? You'll love not only the acting but the cinematography. The aerial and wide angle shots of the estate and the Cornish coast are sumptuous and captivating. The scene of Rachel and Philip embracing in a carpet of bluebells is cinematography at its finest. If you enjoy period pieces, you'll enjoy My Cousin Rachel. If you are a fan of Rachel Weisz, then, you'll love her performance in this period drama ripe with mystery and intrigue. And if she doesn't win an Academy Award for Best Actress, well, I'll be darned. If you are a fan of the handsome Sam Claflin, then, you'll enjoy him in his commanding performance of a manly boy coming into his own. It's a marvelous film. Do see it! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member A deep dark movie. I only watched because I watch all Sam Claflin movies. Daphne du Maurier is not a light hearted writer so what can you expect. But it was well presented and worth another watch. Rachel Weisz is not one of my favourites. Didnt like her in About A Boy either but Daniel Craig loves her ! Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review jed i 5.0/10 — "Poor"/"Inferior"/"Amateurish" Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member The story is dull and dreary and just seems to drag on endlessly with no real point to it. The only excitement comes in the last quarter of the story, but this one is a snoozefest Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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